World civilizations - Essay Example

The first crusade lasted between 1095 and 1291. Pope Urban officially launched the first crusade in France. The focus was to aid those Christians living in the East. Pope Urban II told the people in France that the Muslim Turks were torturing and oppressing Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem and other holy lands. As a result, he appealed to the Knights to fight for their religious city. During the crusade, the absolution of sin and eternal life was promised to the people who also hoped to attain wealth and land in the East.

With the endorsement of the Byzantine emperor and guided by the Armenian Christians, the knights walked from Syria and Turkey to Jerusalem. The first crusade focused to retake and recapture Jerusalem. The Muslims had captured the city of Jerusalem in 1076. Muslim soldiers oppressed and tortured any Christian who wanted to go to Jerusalem. This cruel treatment angered Christian. This prompted Pope Urban II to declare war against Muslims (Pomeranz et al, 2010). Many Christians at that time were determined to reclaim Jerusalem because of their faith and drive Muslims out of the city with all means.

Some Christians understood that they had sinned before God and therefore, going to war with Muslims, God would forgive their sins. Pope Urban II had informed Christians that in case they died in the war, they would go to heaven because they were struggling and fighting for God. Crusaders who went to Jerusalem were exempted from paying taxes; therefore, they were determined to go to war so that the church would guard them. In addition, Christians thought that by going to war to recapture Jerusalem, they would claim wealth that they thought existed in the city of Jerusalem.

The Byzantine emperor appealed to the papacy and western Christendom to come to rescue of Constantinople by staging a revolt or crusade that would free the city of Jerusalem from the Muslims. In addition, Christians